Quadratics

1. Expand the following:

(a) (x + 3)(x + 5) (b) (x – 2)(x – 4) (c) (x – 4)(x + 1)

(d) (x + 2)2 (e) (2x + 3)(3x + 1)

2. Factorise each of the following:

(a) (b) (c) (d)

(e) (f) (g) (h)

 Solving Quadratic
Equations by Factorising
Before solving a quadratic equation you should always rearrange it so that it equals 0.

A quadratic equation will have 0, 1 or 2 solutions, known as ‘roots’

If there is exactly one solution it is known as a ‘repeated root’.

Example 1

Solve
(a) x2 – 5x = 0 (b) x2 + 2x = 8 (c) 3x2 - 14x – 5 = 0
 Pg 20 Ex 2A
Sometimes it is easier to solve the quadratic equation without factorising.

Example 2

Solve
(a) 27 (b)
Solve the following equations by factorising.

(a) x2 – 8x + 12 = 0 (b) m2 – 4m + 4 = 0

(c) a2 + 11a + 18 = 0 (d) 2x2 + 5x + 2 = 0

(e) 15t2 + 2t – 1 = 0 (f) 3p2 = 14p - 8

Solving Quadratics Using
the Formula
The quadratic formula can be used to solve quadratic equations that will not
factorise. It is an alternative to factorising or when it is not easy to factorise.

For an equation of the form where , and are real constants and

You will need

to learn this.
Example 3

Solve the equation , giving your answer in surd form.

 Pg 21 Ex 2B
Example 4

Solve the equation , giving your answer to 3 significant figures.

Completing the Square
When completing the square:

Example 5

Express the following in the form .

a) b)
Exercise

Complete the square on each of the following.

(a) x2 + 8x – 5 (b) x2 – 4x + 3 (c) x2 – 10x - 3

(d) x2 + 5x + 2 (e) x2 + 7x – 4 (f) x2 – 3x + 7

(g) x2 – x – 1 (h) x2 + 10x – 1 (i) x2 – 3x + 1

(j) x2 +6x + 9 (k) x2 – 2x + 6 (l) x2 + x + 1

If the coefficient of x2 ≠ 1, it is a little more difficult to complete the square. In this
case, we need to first of all factorise the coefficient of x2 out of the expression before
completing the square.

Example 6

Complete the square on 3x2 + 5x – 2.

Example 7

Express in the form .

Example 8

Complete the square on 15 + 4x – 2x2.

Exercise

Complete the square on each of the following.

(a) 2x2 + 8x – 6 (b) 2x2 – 4x + 3 (c) 5x2 – 10x - 3

(d) 3x2 + 5x + 2 (e) 4 - 8x - 4x2 (f) 7 – 3x - 2x2

(g) 4x2 – x + 1 (h) 1+ 10x - x2 (i) 5x2 – 3x + 1

(j) 2x2 +6x + 9 (k) 3x2 – 2x + 6 (l) -x2 + x + 1

Show that x2 + 6x + 11 can be written as

where p and q are integers to be found.

(2)

4x2 + 8x + 3 = a(x + b)2 + c

Find the values of the constants a, b and c.

(3)

where p and q are integers.

Find the value of p and the value of q.

(3)
 Solving Quadratics by
Completing the Square
Completing the square can be used to solve a quadratic equation, especially if it
doesn’t factorise. The equation still needs to equal zero in order to solve it.
Example 9 Pg 24 Ex 2D
Use completing the square to solve the equations.
Give your answers in surd form.
(a) (b) (c)
Given that

x2 + 6x + 4 = (x + a)2 + b,

find the values of the constants a and b.

Hence, or otherwise, find the exact solutions of the equation

x2 + 6x + 4 = 0.
 Top and
bottom of 2nd
Deriving The Quadratic Formula fraction
2
 b  b 2 4ac multiplied by
ax 2  bx  c  0 x   2  2 4a
 2a  4a 4 a
Divide all by a Combine the
b c 2 Right side
x2  x 0  b  b 2  4ac
a a x  
Subtract c/a  2a  4a 2
b c Square Root
2
x  x b b 2  4ac
a a Complete the Square x 
(Half of b/a is b/2a) 2a 4a 2 Square Root
2 2
 b   b  c top/bottom
 x  
     b  b 2  4ac separately
 2a   2 a  a Square the x 
2nd bracket 2a 2a Subtract
2 2
 b  b c b
/2a
x   2  x
b

b 2  4ac
 2a  4 a a
Add b2
/4a2 2a 2a
2
Combine the
2
 b  b c Right side
 x     b  b 2  4ac
 2a  4a 2 a x
2a
Functions
A function is a mathematical relationship that maps each value of a set of inputs to a
single output.

The notation is used to represent a function of .

The set of possible inputs for a function is
called the domain. -2 -4
The set of possible outputs for a function 0 -2
is called the range. 1 -1
4 2
The roots of a function are the values of
for which .

Domain Range
Example 10
tells us the domain for . It
The functions and are given by and . means is a member of the
set of real numbers.
(a) Find the values of and .
(b) Find the values of for which
Example 11

The function is defined as

(a) Write in the form .
(b) Hence, or otherwise, find the roots of , leaving your answers in surd form.
(c) Write down the minimum value of , and state the value of for which it occurs.
Example 12 Pg 26 Ex 2E

Find the roots of the function

Solve the following equations.
Sketching Quadratic
Graphs
To sketch a graph, you need to work out;

A quadratic function will produce a

1) Where it crosses the -axis
curve shape called a parabola.
2) Where (if anywhere) it crosses the -axis

By completing the square you can find the Note: We are only sketching the
graph, we are not plotting it
minimum point of the graph.
accurately.

Example 13

Sketch the graphs of

Example 14

Sketch the graphs of

Example 15 Pg 30 Ex 2F

Sketch the graph of

 4x2 + 8x + 3 = a(x + b)2 + c
(a) Find the values of the constants a, b and c.
(3)
(b) Sketch the curve with equation y = 4x2 + 8x + 3, showing clearly the coordinates
of any points where the curve crosses the coordinate axes.
(4)
(Total 7 marks)
The Discriminant
 b 2  4ac  0 b 2  4ac  0 b 2  4ac  0
ax 2  bx  c  0 a0 a0 a0
y y y

b  b 2  4ac
x
2a

b2 – 4ac is known as the

x x x
‘discriminant’
 Its value determines
how many solutions the b 2  4ac  0 b 2  4ac  0 b 2  4ac  0
equation has a0 a0 a0
y y y

x x x

Two distinct Two equal No real

real roots (repeated) roots
roots
If b2- 4ac = 0 then the quadratic equation has equal roots.

If b2 – 4ac < 0 then the quadratic equation has no real roots.

If b2 – 4ac > 0 then the quadratic equation has two distinct real roots.

Example 16

Given that the equation , where is a constant, has no real roots, show that .
Example 17 Pg 32 Ex 2G

Given that the equation has distinct real roots, show that .
1. The quadratic equation , where is a constant, has equal roots.
a) Show that . (3)
b) Hence find the possible values of . (2)

2. a) Solve the equation (3)

b) Given that , where is a constant, has equal roots, find the value of c and
hence solve the equation. (4)

3. a) By completing the square, find in terms of the roots of the equation

. (4)
b) Prove that, for all real values of k, the roots of x2 +2kx – 7 = 0 are real and
different. (2)
c) Given that = √2, find the exact roots of the equation. (2)

4. a) Simplify (2)
b) The quadratic equation has real roots.
Show that (5)

5. Find the values of for which the equation has equal roots.
(4)
(a)  Show that x2 + 6x + 11 can be written as

where p and q are integers to be found.

(2)
(b)  Sketch the curve with equation y = x2 + 6x + 11, showing clearly any
intersections with the coordinate axes.
(2)
(c)  Find the value of the discriminant of x2 + 6x + 11
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

The equation x2 + 3px + p = 0, where p is a non-zero constant, has equal roots.

Find the value of p.
(4)
(Total 4 marks)
 where k is a real constant.
(a)  Find the discriminant of f(x) in terms of k.
(2)
(b)  Show that the discriminant of f(x) can be expressed in the form  (k + a)2 + b,
where a and b are integers to be found.
(2)
(c)  Show that, for all values of k, the equation  f(x) = 0  has real roots.
(2)
(Total 6 marks)
 where p and q are integers.

(a)  Find the value of p and the value of q.

(3)
(b)  Calculate the discriminant of 4x − 5 − x2
(2)
(c)  Sketch the curve with equation y = 4x − 5 − x2 showing clearly the
coordinates of any points where the curve crosses the coordinate axes.
(3)

(Total 8 marks)
Modelling with
Quadratics
Example 18 Pg 34 Ex 2H

A rocket is launched from the top of a tower.

Its height, m, is modelled by the equation where is the time in seconds, .
(a) Interpret the meaning of the constant term 10 in the model.
(b) After how many seconds does the rocket hit the ground.
(c) Write in the form where , and are constants to be found.
(d) Using your answer to part c, or otherwise, find the maximum height of the rocket
above the ground, and the time at which this occurs.

(a) The tower is 10 m tall, since this is the height at time 0.